Tibouchina organensis cultivar Grue-TiB 04.
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Tibouchina plant, botanically known as Tibouchina organensis, and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Grue-TiB 04xe2x80x99.
The new Tibouchina is a product of a induced mutation breeding program conducted by the Invention in Lxc3xcnen, Germany. The obective of the program is to create new Tibouchinas with different plant forms and sizes.
The new Tibouchina is an induced mutation of an unnamed selection of Tibouchina organensis, not patented. Mutations were induced by exposing unrooted cuttings of the unnamed Tibouchina selection to gamma radiation. The new Tibouchina was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within a population of irradiated plants of the unnamed Tibouchina selection in 1999 in a controlled environment in Lxc3xcnen, Germany. The new Tibouchina was selected on its plant form amd growth habit.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by cuttings taken in a controlled environment in Lxc3xcnen, Germany since 1999, has shown that the unique features of this new Tibouchina are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
Plants of the cultivar Grue-TiB 04 have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and culture such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique charateristics of xe2x80x98Grue-TiB 04xe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Grue-TiB 04xe2x80x99, as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.
2. Freely branching habit.
3. Purple-colored flowers.
In side-by-sIde comparisons conducted in Lxc3xcnen, Germany, plants of the new Tibouchina differed from plants of the parent selection in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Tibouchina were more outwardly spreading than plants of the parent selection.
2. Plants of the new Tibouchina were more compact than plants of the parent selection.
3. Plants of the new Tibouchina had shorter internodes than plants of the parent selection.
Compared to plants of the Tibouchina cultivar Grue-TiB 01, disclosed in U.S Plant patent application Ser. No. 10/094,274, plants of the new Tibouchina are more freely branching, have larger leaves, and are not as freely flowering. Compared to plants of the Tibouchina cultivar Grue-TiB 02, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 10/094,327, plants of the new Tibouchina are more freely branching, have larger leaves, have larger flowers, and are not as freely flowering. Compared to plants of the Tibouchina cultivar Grue-TiB 03, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 10/094,336, plants of the new Tibouchina are larger, are more freely branching, have larger leaves, and have larger flowers. Compared to plants of the Tibouchina cultivar Grue-TiB 05, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 10/094,334, plants of the new Tibouchina are shorter, are not as upright, are more freely branching, have longer leaves, and have larger flowers.
Plants of the new Tibouchina can be compared to plants of the Tibouchina urvilleana Rich Blue Sun, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Lxc3xcnen, Germany, plants of the new Tibouchina differed from plants of the cultivar Rich Blue Sun in the following characterictics:
1. Plants of the new Tibouchina were more outwardly spreading and not as upright as plants of the cultivar Rich Blue Sun.
2. Plants of the new Tibouchina were more compact than plants of the cultivar Rich Blue Sun.
3. Plants of the new Tibouchina had shorter internodes than plants of the cultivar Rich Blue Sun.